


The Defect and the Failure

by Author_Of_Insanity101



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Memory Related, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26576137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Author_Of_Insanity101/pseuds/Author_Of_Insanity101
Summary: Entrapta and Hordak are finally back together, and there is so much to do.Based off of this post on tumblr: https://entrapdak-or-hordapta.tumblr.com/post/625129575162183681Also, an extension of this Prompt from Tumblr: https://its-a-trapta.tumblr.com/post/624619389170417664/entrapdak-prompt-130
Relationships: Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	The Defect and the Failure

Hordak could not remember a time he felt as happy as he did in this moment. Adora, his former Force Captain and She-Ra, had purged his mind of Horde Prime, his “Big Brother”, and ended his reign over the known universe. For the first time since he had emerged from his birthing pod, he was truly free. However, his true happiness came when a blur of purple tackled him around his waist.

“Hordak!” Entrapta shrieked, forcing Hordak to spin slightly before he steadied himself. “I’m so glad you’re back! We have so much to talk about!”

Two things hit him in that moment. The first, Entrapta was holding him. He knew she had an aversion to touching, the reason behind her gloves and her constant use of her hair. In all the time she had been his lab partner, the only time he ever remembered touching something other than hair was when he’d grabbed her to save her from his exploding portal. Now, she was clinging to his stomach, her grip so tight it was clear she had no intention of letting go anytime soon.

The second, he did not immediately fall over from the assault. Hordak was not wearing his exo-skeleton, only the usual Horde Soldier attire, which did little more than cover his form. This shock momentarily startled him, having not felt his body whole in a very long time. However, the Princess still clinging to him quickly took precedence. He needed her to know everything, how much her friendship truly meant to him, and how she had been the first good thing that ever happened to him.

His confession could wait though, as Entrapta showed no signs of stopping in her train of talking. He didn’t care though. He’d missed her voice, and was more than happy to let her ramble on and on, holding his arm as they rejoined the victorious rebellion. Aside from a side comment from the Princess of Salineas, no one seemed to care about him or his presence. He enjoyed this moment of peace, letting Entrapta lead him around and talk his ears off.

Eventually, Entrapta’s summary of events ended as they reached a tent amidst the freshly made camp. Entrapta ushered him in and they both sat down on the cot. As they did, Hordak let out a breath, turning to Entrapta.

“Thank you,” he told her. “You helped to free me from my brother’s abusive grasp. Your memories…” he fished the First Ones stone out of a small pouch in his tunic, holding it out, “this stone… it helped me realize I was more than what he made me. You… saved me, Entrapta.”

“I’m just sorry it took so long,” she replied. “What with the rebellion and Horde Prime attacking, there was a lot going on. But, I never gave up on finding you! Once I learned the truth, I had to free you.”

“And now, what will become of me?”

Entrapta looked confused, cocking her head slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what will be done about me? I am… was… the leader of the Horde. My actions cannot simply be ignored, especially with all of the death and destruction I caused, all in the name of my foul brother.”

“We’re not ignoring what you did, but we know why you did it. You were like a machine, programmed to obey, and that’s what you were doing. But now, now you’re free, like all the other clones. Now, you get a fresh start!”

Hordak let that sink in, large green eyes blinking in surprise.

“A… second chance…”

Entrapta nodded enthusiastically.

“It’ll be awkward at first, I mean it was when I returned to Bright Moon, but everyone will get used to it after a while. And if you’re not comfortable with Bright Moon, you can come home with me to Dryl. Wrong Hordak has already agreed to come with me and-”

Hordak held up a hand, confusion written across his face. Seeing it, Entrapta quickly fell silent, sitting on her hair as she waited for him to voice his concerns. He was silently grateful for that, which allowed him to speak without too much venom in his tone.

“What is a ‘Wrong Hordak’?”

“Oh!” Entrapta’s face turned slightly red, her mask coming down over her face to hide her emotions. “Wrong Hordak is just a name I gave another clone Bow and I accidentally broke when we went to save Catra from Prime’s ship. I felt bad about severing his ties to his brothers, and he was able to open doors for us, so we took him with us.”

Hordak felt a pain manifesting in his chest, a tightness he was not used to. Pain was an old friend to him, his once failing body having been a cesspool of misery and weakness that made moments of respite a distant fantasy. This pain, however, was different. It felt like something hot was bubbling inside of him, his ears flattening against his skull as his teeth bared. He reached out for Entrapta, wanting to pull her closer to himself, claiming her as his own. It was that desire that finally put this unfamiliar pain into perspective.

Jealousy.

One of his brothers had Entrapta’s attention. She had named him, cared for him, protected him, and had offered a place in her kingdom. He felt a possessiveness overtake him, one that only subsided when the familiar softness of Entrapta’s hair wrapped around his arms. The pain suddenly vanished as his vision seemingly cleared, his focus locked on the violet locks winding around his arms.

“Are you alright, Hordak?” Entrapta questioned, lifting her mask to show her concerned expression.

“I-…” Hordak’s words caught in his throat as he struggled to articulate his feelings. “I… do not enjoy the thought of… another of my brothers… holding your attention.”

The hair on his arms tightened, and then he felt her _hands_ squeeze his. His eyes fell to his hands, seeing her gloves in his claws, the truest sign of caring he imagined Entrapta could muster.

“Hordak, you’re my lab partner,” she told him, her tone indicating the title meant much more. “Wrong Hordak is just a friend.” She paused, her nose crinkling slightly as a piece of her hair came out to stroke her chin. “Although, maybe a different name would be beneficial. You’re the only Hordak, and calling him Wrong Hordak just doesn’t seem right anymore. Maybe… Kadroh. Yeah, Kadroh works. What do you think, Hordak?”

The amount of relief that washed over Hordak could not be properly put into words. That burning jealousy disappeared, banished by four little words: “you’re my lab partner”. Entrapta’s entire world revolved around science and exploration, and the fact that she was willing to open her world to him as her equal was more than enough for him. He smiled at her, tightening his grip on her hand.

“I believe that will be sufficient.”

Entrapta nodded happily, pulling him closer with her hair. He let himself be led closer, enjoying those soft tendrils wrapping around his arms, legs, and chest. Her scent filled his nose, a pleasant odor he’d missed more than he’d thought. He closed his eyes, just allowing himself to get lost in the scent and the security of the encompassing softness. He was so enraptured by everything that he failed to notice the gentle squeezing of his muscles.

“Hordak…” Entrapta whispered. “Your body is much stronger than before.”

Hordak cracked an eye open, remaining still in the hairy cocoon as he glanced at Entrapta. She had the same look on her face that she did every time she discovered something new.

“Yes, I took note of that myself earlier,” he recalled. “It seems in my absence, Horde Prime found a way to reverse whatever was causing my body to deteriorate.”

Saying the name of his former “Big Brother” gave him an awful taste in his mouth, one that went away after another deep inhale of Entrapta’s scent.

“Fascinating…” Entrapta said, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe I can take a look when we return to Dryl, just in case it’s a temporary fix. If it is, I can create a more permanent solution.”

She paused after she said that, and her hair’s grip on him loosened. She lowered her mask and Hordak grew concerned. He turned himself towards her, reaching for her before stopping, not wanting to make whatever she was going through worse by initiating unwanted contact.

“Is something wrong?” he gently asked.

“Well… to get the information I need, I’ll need to access your internal systems. And to do that… I’ll need to hook up your ports.”

Hordak visibly stiffened at the idea, retracting his hand. A hiss escaped through gritted teeth before he had a chance to properly suppress it. Upon hearing the noise, Entrapta’s hair released him completely, as if to assure him that he was free to do what he wanted. She was fidgeting, still hiding behind her mask as her hair twisted and curled anxiously.

“I used Kadroh’s ports a few times while we were fighting, and he always stiffened whenever I did. If he didn’t like it, I figured you wouldn’t. Kadroh let me because he wanted to be useful, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Not after everything you’ve done to make me comfortable.”

Hordak forced himself to calm down, cursing himself for his reaction. Entrapta was not Horde Prime. She would not force anything upon him ever. Even when she had “forced” her help on him early on, he’d always felt some semblance of control. It was the same now. She was offering help, and if he refused, she would no doubt back off.

Still, she’d raised valid points. If Horde Prime’s solution to his decaying body was indeed a temporary one, then knowing what had been done could indeed save his life. Even if it meant using his ports to probe his body. Despite how uncomfortable it made him, it was necessary, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t place a few conditions on such an action. After all, Entrapta wasn’t Horde Prime.

“If…” he spoke up. “If I were to… agree to… allow you access to my ports… I would prefer us to be… alone.”

Entrapta lifted her mask, looking surprised before giving a nod of assent.

“Of course. Anything you want.”

“I would also prefer… not to be laid out on a lab table,” Hordak added, feeling someone bolder and less awkward about his requests.

“I’m sure I can arrange something. Maybe have the equipment moved into one of the bedrooms back in Dryl. You can lay on the bed instead. Would that be better?”

Hordak nodded in agreement

“Finally, while my ports are in use, I would like to not be left alone,” he concluded.

“Make sure it’s just the two of us, do it in a bedroom and not a lab, don’t leave you unattended during the experiment,” Entrapta listed. “Anything other conditions you wish to set?”

Hordak shook his head, his concerns addressed.

“I believe the conditions set will be adequate, but should I think of others, I will ensure to inform you.”

Entrapta nodded, bouncing up and down on her hair in utter excitement.

“I can’t wait to check this out! I’ll finally get to learn more about your biology and physiology! I wanted so many times to examine Kadroh, but there was never a good time, and…”

She went off on another one of her tangents and Hordak just leaned back on the cot, letting her voice fill his ears. Her hair began slithering around him as he laid down and he gratefully entangled himself within it. That familiar smell filled his nose as he drifted off into the first peaceful night he had ever had.


End file.
